The Pokémon Company is encouraging Japanese fans to sign up early for the government’s Digital Identification App, fearing the process may not work properly in August due to high traffic.
This is thanks to the anti-scalping measure that Pokémon is putting into place in its home country. From August 2026, fans will need to use the Digital Identification App alongside a Japanese ‘My Number Card’ to purchase Pokémon cards and other merch from the Pokémon Center store.
The new announcement explains that it will use a ‘lottery system’ connected to the app, which may mean that the days of queuing for hours for Poké Center drops are over.
This is a pretty huge deal, as it will be the most widespread and stringent measures the TCG has taken against scalping. Fans have been clamouring for a long time for stricter buy limits and bot protection on Pokémon card sales, annoyed by resellers who scoop up masses of products then attempt to flip them for a profit. The increased price tag of rare Pokémon cards in the last 10 years has made this an ever-growing problem in the Pokémon fanbase.
The My Number Card system is an optional national ID card owned opted into by more than 70% of Japan’s population. This Digital Identification App uses the MNCs to verify ID online, in situations like internet banking or buying alcohol online. Given that this is such a widely used system, it’s amusing to think that it could break due to the almighty power of Pokémon hype.
While you don’t have to be a Japanese citizen to get a My Number Card, you do have to live in the country, which means it will soon be a bit harder to buy Japanese Pokémon cards.
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Source: Wargamer
